Miss Lamai and Clifford Lee© Photo Healy Racing
English trainer Karl Burke enjoyed another successful Irish visit today as his Royal Ascot fourth-placed Miss Lamai landed the Listed Arqana Irish EBF Marwell Stakes at Naas today, for jockey Clifford Lee.
Burke won the Irish 1,000 Guineas with Fallen Angel in May and last Sunday, and again at the Curragh, landed the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes with Poet Master.
Today Miss Lami (10/11f) improved on her fourth-placed Queen Mary Stakes finish behind stablemate Leovanni, when beating Make Haste by 1.75 lengths — having raced stands' side.
North Yorkshire based Burke reported “she's a good, tough filly. I thought that if she ran up to either of her last two runs, she would be hard to beat, although you never know with two-year-old fillies.
“We walked the track and when I watch Naas on TV, they are always coming stands' side and it walked that way as well. I said to Cliff if they all go the other way to make sure he was on this side to make his challenge and if they split, to definitely come this way. I think that helped.
“She got caught in the last 50 yards in the Marygate (Stakes) and at Royal Ascot they were spread across the track and she never got cover. That's the first time I've really seen her finish off her race. I've always thought she'd be a better filly with a bit of cover and that's worked out today.”
He added “she's in the Lowther and we'll discuss that and this it's huge for Chris (Hirst, owner), who lives in Thailand, as he's building up a broodmare band.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
